Ironically, one of the fundamental things that students fail to learn in schools is how to learn. Most of us are unfortunate enough to rely more on rote memorization to active learning which, in turn, can do us a lot more harm in the long run.
Here, in this post, we have come up with a few of the most common learning techniques on the basis of their efficiency and usability. Have a look.
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Distributed Practice
[Efficiency- High]
It’s the method of dividing your study time over intervals rather than doing everything at a single go.
Studies have repeatedly pointed to the fact that distributed practice works a lot better for material absorption and retention.
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Practice Tests
[Efficiency- High]
These tests don’t exactly need a testing environment. In reality, you can test yourself anywhere, anytime, and with anything. You can even test yourself with flashcards. It doesn’t matter how you do as long as you do.
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Elaborative Interrogation
[Efficiency- Moderate]
This is the process of asking yourself questions in an honest attempt at understanding concepts.
For example,
If you’re learning about the theory of relativity, say the formula E= mc^2, you may ask yourself the question – “Why is E equal to mc^2?”
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Self-explanation
[Efficiency- Moderate]
This one’s a close relative of elaborative interrogation involving the participant to explain and record how one reaches a conclusion or an answer.
This one’s a popular method for solving abstract issues similar to many requirements in math classes. One of the main strengths of this learning strategy is that it can be applied to a variety of subjects and tasks at one and the same time.
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Interleaved Practice
[Efficiency- Moderate]
It is done when the student studies the topic and also blends it with previous concepts or topics at the same time.
This technique’s an absolute must if you’re doing math and science. The practice of going through previous chapters act as a much-needed refresher.
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Underlining and highlighting materials
[Efficiency- Low]
Highlighting’s one of the most favorable methods used by students in college.
Although an immensely popular technique, this method ranks rather low on the utility scale. This technique’s well-known because it’s very easy to use requiring very little training on the student’s end.
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Summarization
[Efficiency- Low]
This process is pretty much self-explanatory. It’s the process of summarizing a section or chapter you’re trying to learn.
To know more about the popular learning techniques, refer to the infographic below.
Source- LearnPick
